Valve Delays Steam Deck Dock , Cites Pandemic-Related Factory Closures : Valve is still struggling to improve one of Steam Deck’s biggest promised features: charging capabilities like the Nintendo Switch and with TV or monitor Ability to connect. More comfortable gaming session.
The company announced late Wednesday that the long-awaited steam deck docking station will not be out until late spring, citing supply chain problems at its manufacturing facilities and the ongoing conflict with the Covid-19, citing shutdowns. With the official launch of the portable gaming device, the dock was originally scheduled to be released in February, but it has yet to be announced for an unannounced date.
“We are working to improve the situation and will share more information when we have it. This has no effect on the production schedule and reservation window for Steam Dex (different parts, different factories), “the company wrote on its site.
The dock is intended to prop up the steam deck while allowing it to connect to external displays, USB peripherals, and power cables to allow sessions longer than its average disconnected 2-to-8-hour battery life.
Although the accessory is not intended to improve performance, the delay is embarrassing as it represents the key promise of high-powered portable gaming, able to easily carry a console with you on the go and dock it back home for seamless play. The specs of the deck dock were actually upgraded in April to improve the number of USB 3.1 ports and speed up the transfer. In this latest announcement, Valve said it will work on improving the docked experience “with all USB-C hubs and external displays”.
In the meantime, some users have found docking workarounds, including 3D printing of their own Steam deck docs.
Valve said the delay should not affect all those who are still waiting for their steam deck to be ordered. The 256GB and 512GB versions of the deck are still listed as available in Q3 of this year. Some who pre-order medium or high-end decks have noticed that their decks are available for purchase.
In the meantime, check out some tips and games that you can use while trying to relax for a few hours of portable gaming. Also, read our full review of the steam deck here.